Because companies that are loved win

We’re going on a field trip!

The breakout is a mainstay of most conferences. But, inspired by the suggestion of past Delight Conference attendees, we’re embedding these interactive sessions in the community this year. That means you’ll have the chance to get out and go behind the scenes at some of Portland’s coolest work environments and learn first-hand from leaders at each organization.

Break away for a different kind of breakout

Register for Delight and choose from nine organizations that are creating meaningful experiences that people love. From the iconic brick-and-mortar bookstore that thrives in the age of Amazon to the neighborhood bank where everyone knows your name (and your dog’s name) to the virtual receptionist company that does so much more than answer the phone. Read on for a preview of all our Delight destinations. The hardest part will be choosing just one!

Field trips are filling up fast, so register now to ensure you get the one you want.

Powell’s Books: How a Beloved Brand Weathers Change & Disruption

No visit to Portland is complete without a stop at Powell’s, which occupies an entire city block and houses more than a million books. Join Michael Powell for an intimate conversation—and hear how his family’s iconic bookstore weathered storms of disruption to become a landmark brand for the city. Deane Barker, Chief Strategy Officer and founding partner at Blend Interactive (@gadgetopia on Twitter), will moderate the discussion. Deane has written about his love of books and jumped at the chance to lead this conversation about the future of books.

Portland Timbers: Teams That Are Loved, Win

Tour the beautiful and historic Providence Park, home of the 2015 MLS Cup champion Portland Timbers and meet with the Timbers marketing team. Led by Cory Dolich, Senior Vice President of Business Operations & Marketing at Portland Timbers & Portland Thorns FC, we’ll learn about the history of the team and club ethos and walk through some case studies, such as the Fan Axe Portraits. This campaign is a perfect example of the kinds of programs the Portland Timbers have developed to not only grow the brand, but also engage and activate their community of fans.

Mercy Corps: Stories from the Field

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization that believes that a better world is possible. As Mercy Corps works to address some of the toughest global challenges, the agency designs community partnerships that put bold solutions into action. “I think this field trip is an opportunity to expand our horizons and understand that in order to design for clientele, in this case young people around the world, we need to partner with them,” says Matt Streng, Senior Advisor to Youth. “I think what human-centered design allows us to do is to really activate that process.” Join Matt at the agency’s global headquarters in Portland, where you’ll hear from field experts, then apply your learning with a small group design challenge.

Umpqua Bank: Bank Like You Live

For Umpqua Bank “community banking” means creating experiences people can believe in. Equal parts checking account and knitting club, commercial loan and local music source—Umpqua knows there is more to life than money. Hear how this neighborhood bank creates experiences that meet the needs of its neighbors and how they engage with their local communities. Then, finish the day working on a volunteer project to benefit a local nonprofit.

Ruby Receptionists: Practice WOWism!

At Ruby Receptionists, legendary customer experience starts with inspired, empowered employees. Inside their beautiful headquarters with expansive views of downtown Portland, you’ll get the full Ruby experience with some hands-on fun, featuring Founder and CEO Jill Nelson and members of the User Experience, Client Happiness and Employee Engagement teams. “When people come to work every day they understand that they’re here to make somebody else’s day,” Jill says. “They’re not just coming to work for 250 calls; they’re coming to work for a true purpose. At the core, I think that’s what really makes this a great place to work.”

Ziba Design: The Inclusion Revolution: Designing for Gen Z

In just a few short years, Generation Z, the young people born between 1995 and 2010, will account for 40% of all consumers. Hear how Gen Z is already shaping the future and what that will mean to brands today. Ziba’s Executive Creative Director Paul O’Connor and team lead a hands-on work session built around Ziba’s design insights research. After some provocative perspective from the Ziba team, we’ll break into small groups and see how Gen Z may exert the greatest pressures yet, and how brands can meet them on their terms. “We think this youngest generation is not going to play so nicely with some of those familiar constructs of the past,” Paul says.

OHSU: We Are Torchbearers

What does it mean to be torchbearers? At OHSU, it’s a calling people respond to every day. It drives them to seek cures, to build a world-class cancer research center, to craft a beloved brand voice, and to teach the next generation of innovators. It fires their passion to provide the best care for every patient at thriving campuses in Portland and across Oregon. Come learn how three of our nearly 16,000 torchbearers light the way forward. “I think the torchbearer is someone who is always challenging the existing paradigms and willing to look at, ask questions, and take risks, address questions which are unusual or very innovative,” says Dr. Eric Fombonne, who leads SPARK, OHSU’s autism research initiative. “I think we at OHSU are well positioned to take a lead in moving the field into a new stage. To create a parting shift into the way the care of children and families is currently practiced.”

WeWork at Custom House: The Last Time I Made You Smile

With WeWork’s entrepreneurial co-working community as a backdrop, veteran startup advisor Dylan Boyd leads a panel of visionary business leaders who are disrupting with delight by tapping into the promise of new markets, technologies and partnerships. From retail to AR to sports to housing, a diverse group will talk about creating joy in daily events through strategy and execution. Dylan, who is now Director of New Program Development for R/GA Ventures will lead a panel of all-stars, including:

Emma Mcilroy, CEO, WildFang

Omid Ashtari, VP, Strategy & Operations, Cozy

Michael Yamartino, Head of Commerce, Pinterest

Paul Reynolds, Founder, Vertex Labs (formerly of Magic Leap)

Daniel Brusilovsky, Digital Initiatives Lead, Golden State Warriors

Target: Uniting Digital & Physical in the Name of Love

People love Target. And that love is rooted in the familiar store that guests have been shopping their whole lives. How do we preserve and evolve that love as the future of retail unfolds? Come hear how we work, design and build as product teams to create digital, physical and service touchpoints that embody the new Target. You’ll start with a self-guided mission to the downtown Target store then gather back at the Portland Art Museum to hear from Rob Anderson and Maya Page who are innovating the retailer’s guest experience.

About the Author

An award-winning content strategist and B2B marketing leader, Carmen brings together big ideas, strategic thinking and hard-earned empathy for the challenges today’s marketers face. In a career spanning two decades, she has worked as a TV journalist, copywriter, content strategist and marketing director. As Content Director at Babcock & Jenkins, Carmen built an award-winning content marketing practice, working with global clients including Adobe, Google and Xerox. More recently, she led the marketing team at Connective DX and helped organize the Delight Conference. She is now owner and principal strategist at Chill Content, a consultancy focused on content strategy and storytelling.

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Delight is hosted by the team at Connective DX, where we design and build great digital experiences. We enable our clients to see their business from the outside in, and we build that insight into the systems we develop and stories we tell. We serve clients globally from our offices in Portland, OR and Boston, MA. We’re digital specialists, working at the intersection of strategy, design, technology, and digital enablement. Founded in 1997 we've been lucky to partner with great organizations such as Columbia Sportswear, OHSU, Harvard University and many more.